CINCINNATI -- Raiders rookie left tackle Kolton Miller gave up two sacks to Sam Hubbard in Sunday’s loss to the Bengals. His sacks allowed total stands at 14 with two games to go, an unflattering number regardless of experience.
The first-round draft pick out of UCLA has made some mistakes this season. He has battled knee sprains (notice the plural) without missing a single start, without uttering a single complaint. He has learned a difficult job on the fly while playing next to four different left guards, with tight end help frequently assisting the right flank.
There have been bright moments and quality games where Miller has proven capable of being a quality pro. Raiders coaches believe that, and will count on him to be the starting left tackle again next season, knowing full well his first professional season hasn’t been easy.
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Starting every game at left tackle is a rookie experience unique to Miller this year. He’s the only one to hold the job from wire to wire, which underlines how rare it is even for mid-first-round picks -- Miller was taken 15th -- to step in and perform consistently well right away.
Miller has dealt with expert pass rushers for most of the year, and dealt with some better than others. He has learned from each experience, and will continue to do that as this season comes to a close.
“It’s a big year to learn from, to grow from,” Miller said. “That’s the only thing you know you can do. You have to take (what you’ve learned) into the offseason, and try to keep getting better.”
Miller also will work to get bigger and stronger. His 6-foot-8 frame can handle more than the 309 pounds it presently holds, which will help him hold up against power rushers. He’s already agile, but experience and continually refined technique will help him identify and handle speed rushers and spin moves while trying to reach the quarterback.
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Miller allowed some pressure off the edge, while most concern was centered on two new starting guards with Gabe Jackson, Kelechi Osemele and top backup Jon Feliciano on the shelf.
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Miller said communication with left guard Chaz Green was good, and that it didn’t impact play up front. There were some execution issues against a strong Bengals defensive front in all areas, and Raiders coach Jon Gruden will factor that into this game’s evaluation.
“This is a tough defensive front,” Gruden said. “Geno Atkins, he’s been a Pro Bowler every year. Carlos Dunlap’s a great player. They’ve got a very good front, and Hubbard’s an up-and-comer out of Ohio State, but we’ve got to do better. We’ve got to do better, but I will acknowledge that was one tough situation that we were put under today.”